英语中级笔译辅导：新闻英语翻译练笔(4)

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　　美国核裁军新条约获批难

　　The US Congress starts its lame-duck session on Monday, with the Obama administration sweating bullets over whether one of its few landmark foreign policy achievements, the New Start treaty, will be put to a vote. If not, it would be kicked forward into the next Senate, with its much reduced Democratic majority, where the 67 votes necessary for ratification look like a dauntingly steep climb.

　　In theory, this should not be a hard sell, with all the Pentagon's top brass lining up to tell Congress that failure to ratify would undermine national security by further delaying the return of US inspectors to Russian nuclear sites. They have not been on the ground since last December when the old Start treaty expired.

　　But there are also financial considerations behind the Senate's foot-dragging on ratification. America's nuclear laboratories have teamed up with Senate Republicans led by minority whip, Jon Kyl, to squeeze extra funding out of an administration that is short of cash but desperate to bank some solid achievements.

　　相关背景：

　　1. 跛脚鸭会期

　　维基百科：在美国，11月总统和国会选举后、下年初新选出公职人员宣誓前的时期，被称作跛脚鸭时期。1933年以前，国会和总统宣誓就职在3月4日举行。当时国会通常有两个会期，当中第二个会期为选举后的12月至明年3月。这段会期被称作跛脚鸭会期。

　　如果有同学对今年美国国会跛脚鸭会期的时间存疑(因为文中用的是现在时)，可以参见《纽约时报》一篇新闻(http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/08/us/politics/08caucus.html)第五段最后一句：

　　The more significant private discussions begin over the next few days before the lame-duck session, which begins Nov. 15. 说明就是明天。

　　2. sweat bullets (American informal)

　　网上The Free Dictionary上给的解释是to be very worried or frightened

　　3. The New START Treaty

　　START是个缩写，等于STrategic Arms Reduction Treaty

　　美俄双方1991年签署的《削减和限制进攻性战略武器条约》已于去年12月5日到期，新的协议将取代这份到期的协议。据统计，在原有的裁减核武器协定下，美俄双方的核弹头分别从冷战时期的一万多枚减少到目前美国的3800多枚，以及俄罗斯的5900多枚。今天双方达成共识的新协议规定，美俄各自部署的核弹头数量上限不能超过1550枚。

　　4.“党鞭”(Whip)是议会内的政党纪律主管，功能是为了确保议员按照政党立场行事。

　　译文：

　　The US Congress starts its lame-duck session on Monday, with the Obama administration sweating bullets over whether one of its few landmark foreign policy achievements, the New Start treaty, will be put to a vote. If not, it would be kicked forward into the next Senate, with its much reduced Democratic majority, where the 67 votes necessary for ratification look like a dauntingly steep climb.

　　随着美国国会下周一进入跛脚鸭会期，奥巴马政府对其为数不多的重大外交成就之一——《削减和限制进攻性战略武器新条约》能否付诸表决深感担忧。若该条约遭到搁置，将交由下一届参议院表决，那时民主党在参议院的多数党优势已被大幅削弱，要确保条约获批所需的67票或将难如登天。

　　In theory, this should not be a hard sell, with all the Pentagon's top brass lining up to tell Congress that failure to ratify would undermine national security by further delaying the return of US inspectors to Russian nuclear sites. They have not been on the ground since last December when the old Start treaty expired.

　　按理说新条约获批并非难事，因为五角大楼的高官们正竞相游说国会，如果该条约得不到批准，将进一步推迟美国监察员赴俄检查核设施，进而危及美国的国家安全。从去年12月原条约到期至今，俄罗斯的核设施一直处于不受美方监控的状态。

　　But there are also financial considerations behind the Senate's foot-dragging on ratification. America's nuclear laboratories have teamed up with Senate Republicans led by minority whip, Jon Kyl, to squeeze extra funding out of an administration that is short of cash but desperate to bank some solid achievements.

　　但参议院迟迟不批条约还有其财政方面的考虑。美国核实验室已与少数党党鞭乔恩·凯尔领导的共和党参议员通力合作，试图从一个极需政绩却囊中羞涩的政府手中榨取发展核项目所需的财政拨款。